Do Not Touch

For some reason or another churches have difficulty talking about certain things.  It’s like a giant “Do Not Touch” sign has been plastered over topics like depression, suicide, self-harm, abuse, homosexuality, etc.  As a part of a Chapter 3 program, we’re spending 5 weeks hearing real stories from real people with real hope.  It’s time we start to touch on these things that have previously untouchable.  As the weeks roll on, you’ll find audio links for the messages from each evening and some resources that may help you or a friend with their experience with the following areas:

Depression/Suicide – Thursday, January 13th, 2011 – Ron Merrell, Grace Baptist Church.

Homosexuality – Thursday, January 20th, 2011 – Ron Merrell, Grace Baptist Church.

Self-Harm – Thursday, January 27th, 2011 – Ron Merrell, Grace Baptist Church.

Sexual Abuse/Rape – Thursday, February 3rd, 2011 – Wendy McHaddad & Ron Merrell, Grace Baptist Church.

Abortion – Thursday, February 10th, 2011 – Landen Llamas, Grace Baptist Church.

Whether you have had experience in these areas or not – and whether you go to church or not – does not matter.  Everyone is welcome as we start to have some of these important conversations.  No one will be bashed, judged, or hurt.  We simply will start to touch on some important areas of life that many of us face – and find out we’re not alone in the journey.  See you there.

Sexual Abuse/Rape

CLICK HERE TO LISTEN TO WENDY MCHADDAD’S POWERFUL STORY WITH WRAP-UP BY RON MERRELL:

Few things cause more physical and emotion hurt – and stir more anger – than sexual abuse and rape.  These are some of the deepest, darkest places of sin in our world.  Victims of it can emerge feeling that love and affection can only be bought or used, that they only have value as an object or thing, that powerlessness is a way of life, and relationships can only bring betrayal.

Sexual abuse, including rape, is the perpetration of any unwanted sexual interaction or contact by a person who, because of age or power, is able to take advantage of another.  Thus, sexual abuse can involve adult-adolescent, adult-child, adolescent-child, adolescent-child, adolescent-adolescent, and child-child pairs.  Sexual abuse can be perpetrated by either sex against either sex.

STATISTICS:

• A child is molested every two minutes, according to some estimates.
• More than one out of 3 adult women and one in 6 adult men have been sexually abused before 18 years old.
• Estimated that for every victim known, nine others are hidden.
• Approximately 683,000 women are raped in the US each year.
• As little as 10% of rapes are reported to the police.
• Majority of rapes are perpetrated by people the victim knows beforehand.

BIBLE INSTRUCTION:

• 2 Samuel 13:12-13
• 1 Thessalonians 4:4-6
• Luke 17:2
• Leviticus 18:6
• 1 Corinthians 13:5-7
• Ephesians 5:25-27; 6:4
• 1 Corinthians 5
• 2 Corinthians 5:17

CLICK HERE TO LISTEN TO WENDY MCHADDAD’S POWERFUL STORY WITH WRAP-UP BY RON MERRELL: